Hijabs and Hat-tricks: Muslim women lead the field

by Sorcha Pollak

The end of a rule that barred women from wearing a hijab while playing football has seen the numbers of young muslim women taking up the game rise. Click Here for the Video by Daniel O'Connor

Growing up in Tallaght, Fadhila Hajji loved playing football with her brothers.

Kicking a ball around the yard during her teen years was the perfect way to relax after a long day at school. Unfortunately, the headscarf or hijab she wore as a Muslim teenager meant she was unable to play matches with other girls.

“It was very upsetting to me because I couldn’t express my passion for football,” says Hajji as she prepares for her weekly training in Phoenix Park on a grey, wet morning. “It was something I really enjoyed playing, something that I could use to blow steam off. Playing with everyone was just my happy time. I was really eager to join a team but couldn’t because of my headscarf.”

In March 2014, football’s world-governing body Fifa lifted the ban on head covers during matches. This meant female Muslim players would have the option to cover their heads when playing.

When Hajji’s brother Abdul-Rahman heard about Fifa’s decision to lift the ban on headscarves, he approached his sister with the idea of creating a Muslim women’s football team in Dublin. He was already an active member of Sports Against Racism Ireland (Sari).

Along with their friend, Abdul, the three young soccer enthusiasts contacted friends around Dublin encouraging them to get involved in their “Hijabs and Hat-tricks” project. Diverse City FC kicked off training in March 2014 and, two months later, they made their debut at the Fair Play Cup on World Refugee Day.

Weekly training

Mahdiyah Ayub from Coolock has joined Hajji for the Phoenix Park training despite the incessant rain. The girls stamp their feet as they catch up on the week’s gossip, waiting for the session to kick off.

Ayub was already a keen footballer player when Hajji called her in 2014 to join the new team. Before playing with Diverse City, she often removed her scarf for fear of sticking out on a pitch of non-Muslim players.

“It was more I was uncomfortable in my own skin,” says the 17 year old, catching her breath after warm-up laps. “Knowing you’re the only Muslim, you try and fit in more with the other girls, so I took my scarf off.”

The decision to join Diverse City has given her the confidence to play her favourite sport while wearing her hijab.

“Since I’ve joined this team, I’ve been wearing it to my school matches, to clubs and everything. The team gave me more confidence to go out there . . . to wear my scarf, to be proud of being a Muslim. To be proud of my scarf because it’s part of my identity.”

Wearing a scarf while playing sport is just like tying your hair back, says Ayub. “It’s also great because when it’s windy or raining you have an extra layer so your hair doesn’t get wet.”

Amina Moustafa, who is in first-year science at Trinity College, doesn’t wear a hijab, but has many friends who were afraid to join teams because of their headscarves. She and her twin sister, who also plays on the team, were lucky enough to grow up in a household where sports was always encouraged.

“My mam said when she was younger she was told not to play, that maybe it wasn’t for her. She didn’t want that for us so she encouraged us to keep going out.

“She loved the idea that there was a Muslim girls team and it was promoting diversity and interculturalism in Ireland. I’ve done so much sport over the years and this is the best team for bonding together. Normally, you just play the sport and go home, whereas I feel when we’re playing there’s more of a connection between the players.”

The girls are so enthusiastic about Diverse City they insisted on continuing training and playing matches during Ramadan – a period of the Islamic year when Muslims do not eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset.

“It’s a good distraction from eating,” says Moustafa. “You don’t even think about it. We were just thinking about how amazing it was that we actually won a match when we didn’t have any energy.”

Azeez Yusuff, who coaches the team, says he was pleasantly surprised by how talented some players are. “All of them were good from day one when I first saw them – and now they’ve just totally developed which is absolutely amazing.”

“It’s great to see everyone mixing together because people say Muslim women just stay at home and stuff like that. Here you can see they’ve proven them wrong.”

Common sense

Former Republic of Ireland football manager Brian Kerr, who sits on the board of Sari and has followed the Hijabs and Hat-tricks project with great interest, says Fifa’s decision to allow women to wear hijabs while playing was “common sense”.

“Why should they have that restriction when in their culture they have to wear something to cover their hair?” he asks. Kerr believes Ireland’s decision to host the 2003 Special Olympics marked a turning point in attitudes.

“Why aren’t we inclusive in sport for everybody? As long as people give it the best they can and we can provide those opportunities, it can be vastly satisfying for players, coaches and volunteers.”

“A new population is coming into the country; a new diverse group with different religions and different cultural norms.”

Fadhila Hajji is proud to have played a leading role in making competitive football a reality for Irish Muslim women in their teens and early 20s. In December, she received a People of the Year Award for her work with Sari in fighting discrimination through sport.

“I feel proud. I feel like I have achieved something for the team, for myself and also for people around the world that feel inspired. I think it’s great that people from different backgrounds and ethnicities are getting together in one community and playing football.”

Hajji believes Muslim participation in sport sends out a positive message. “Islam is not portrayed very well at the moment. People seeing the Muslim people doing something good, that’s what we need right now.”

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/hijabs-and-hat-tricks-muslim-women-lead-the-field-1.2479670

Honey Thaljieh on TEDx

Honey Thaljieh is former captain of the Palestinian Woman's football team and currently working at FIFA in Zurich. 

Mumbra's Muslim girls kick out stereotypes

By Kamayani Bali-Mahabal

They started off as a secret sports club. What brought them together was their shared love for football, a game they couldn't dream of playing owing to their conservative family backgrounds. After all, how could young girls, who weren't even allowed to step out of their homes without the 'hijab' (veil), run around kicking ball in an open field? But they showed exceptional courage when they defied parental dictate to pursue their passion for the sport. Three years back, Sabah Khan, Salma Ansari, Sabah Parveen, Aquila, Saadia and 40 other girls got out of their homes in Mumbra, a small town 40 kilometres from Mumbai, Maharashtra, to play football. Today, this group that calls itself Parcham, inspired by Asrar ul Haq Majaz, an Urdu poet who saw women as crusaders with an inherent quality to revolt against exploitation and injustice, has truly lived up to its name. They have not only broken gender stereotypes by regularly playing football but have been responsible for bridging the gap between the Muslims and the Hindus in their communally volatile city.  Sabah Khan, the captain of this unique all-girls team, recalls how their journey of change began, "Around 2011, a bunch of us were approached by the NGO Magic Bus that uses sports as a means to help poor children lead a better life. They wanted to teach football to both girls and boys but we told them that in Mumbra Muslim girls cannot take up a sport let alone play alongside boys. That's when they decided to exclusively train girls who were keen to try out something they had only dreamt of." The target was to put together a group of 40 girls but that was easier said than done. "Most of us hail from families that struggle to make ends meet. We can never really spare time for fun and games. We study, chip in at home or work. That's why we were unable to personally go to motivate girls to join in. However, some of us decided to make pamphlets and distribute them outside girls' schools and colleges. Apart from that we also approached the local wing of the Maharashtra Mahila Parishad that works with several self help groups to see if any of their members would be interested in sending their girls for this programme. In this way, we managed to build a team," elaborates Sabah.  The next challenge was to find a ground to practice on. "We went to every school and college in the vicinity that had a ground to find out whether they would allow us to play for two hours every Sunday. Unfortunately, no one was agreeable," shares the articulate leader. It was a member of the Mahila Parishad, who spoke to a board member of a temple trust to secure permission for using the open space around it for playing. At the outset, the girls decided to call their team 'Parcham'. Aquila, one of the founding members, narrates the story behind it, "We decided to call ourselves 'Parcham' as we are inspired by Asrar ul Haq Majaz, better known as Majaz Lakhnawi. Through his romantic, revolutionary verses, Majaz urged women to look at the hijab not as a barrier but as a flag or banner. He has written: 'Tere maathe pe ye aanchal bauhat hi khoob hai, lekin tu is aanchal se ik parcham bana leti to achcha tha… (The veil covering your head and face is beautiful, but if you make a flag out of it, it would be better)'. We, too, have transformed something that many see as a sign of repression into a symbol of revolution."  Through sports Parcham strives to build a just and equal society that is respectful of diversity and celebrates difference and interdependence. Their mission is to empower marginalised communities to access their fundamental rights, creating spaces for dialogue among diverse sections of society. "And our one great achievement has been getting official recognition for our struggle to get a playground for the girls," says Aquila. Last year, after they started a massive signature campaign with the support of 900 girls from across Mumbra, their demand for a ground was finally acknowledged. Female students from various schools, under the leadership of Parcham, wrote a joint letter stating: "We wish to play football and other sports. We believe that through sports we also come together in unity, forgetting our religious and other differences." When they met with MLA Jeetendra Awhad he was amazed to see this strength of association. He told them that it was perhaps for the first time that 900 girls had got together to ask for a playground to be reserved for them. He also assured them of their very own space to play. "That promise was fulfilled and the football-loving girls of Mumbra are now able to practice freely. Moreover, the move gave a boost to our campaign that motivates girls and women to reclaim open spaces," states Aquila. Their dedicated practice sessions have fetched Parcham some rich rewards. They have won two major local tournaments - one in November 2013 and another in March 2014.  Of course, if the struggles of the group have been remarkable, then so are their individual journeys. Take the case of Saadia Bano (name changed). "When I had first heard about Parcham I immediately wanted to be a part of it. However, I did not have the courage to speak to my parents. I am not allowed to move from home without a 'hijab', so imagine them allowing me to play football! Initially, I used to step out every Sunday telling them that I was going to visit some friend. Then one day when I took my brother's T-shirt to wear for a tournament my mother immediately suspected that I was doing something without telling them. When she confronted me I had to confess to her and my sister." Saadia's brothers still have no inkling. "After I won a trophy at a tournament I told them that it was a friend's. There are many like me who cannot yet be completely honest with all their family members. We don't want to make them unhappy nor do we want our freedom curtailed. This way we all get what we want," she says.  Adds Salma Ansari, 22, who has supportive parents and is pursuing an MBA degree, "What we need is for the society to accept that girls have an equal right to public spaces; that they too deserve to experience the joy of being able to run free, kick a ball, hold a bat, sprint, jump or swim. Nowadays, we are trying to break gender stereotypes by training a group of 50 young boys and girls together." The religious divide, too, has been overcome with the inclusion of girls from other faiths. Simran, 15, the youngest member of the team, is a Sikh. "We have so many misconceptions about other religions. But perceptions and attitudes change when we meet and interact. Being in Parcham, I am learning about gender, equality, justice… Watch out, I am a feminist in the making!" she says emphatically.  What's next on Parcham's agenda? "We want to set up a resource centre for our girls, complete with books, newspapers, computers and a wi-fi network. Every Saturday, we plan to hold meetings where we can discuss the latest news and concepts like secularism and citizenship to enable everyone to think and form opinions on subjects they are passionate about. The centre will be a safe haven for Muslims and non-Muslims to build friendships," says Sabah.  In the home town of Ishrat Jahan, the young woman who was tragically shot in an encounter in Ahmedabad in 2004, these girls are gearing up to drive out prejudice and hatred.  —(Women's Feature Service) Source: http://www.kashmirtimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=38270

I'm a Footballer Who Happens to Wear Hijab -- I Didn't Need FIFA to Tell Me That

By: Shireen Ahmed

Here is my reality.

I have been contacted many, many times since March 1 when FIFA announced that IFAB formally overturned their decision to ban headcoverings on the pitch. 

Family, friends and colleagues have sent me congratulatory notes and news reports. 

Since July 2012, I have blogged, written and expressed happiness, hope, gratitude and sometimes frustration with this process.

One more step towards the pitch! 

I was elated. 

Women from all qualifying nations will attend the Women’s World Cup 2015 in Canada. My country. There will be women from Asia, Africa and from Europe. There will be women in hijab, in pants and in shorts.

As it should be. I was thrilled initially.  

Now, I am exhausted.

I am drained from the process. I lost time away from the sport I have know and identified with since I was a very young child.

It was a part of my identity. It was a part of my routine. It was a part of my life.

I found other ways to be involved, be motivated, and get fulfillment.  

I have written and opined about FIFA’s stance. I have shared pictures of radiating women who love the game and who defy cultural norms to enjoy it. Those connected and inspired by it.

And those who risk their lives to play it.

What I did not say was how I suffered from sheer resentment and difficulty when I was not allowed to compete. 

I am allowing myself to say it now. 

I longed for the the thrill of the sprint, and the rush of the challenge.

And the goal. The beautiful goal.

I even craved the hit of the post or the uncontrolled shot that went wide. 

I missed it desperately.

But I chose to cover for personal reasons and told myself my connection to my Creator was stronger than my connection to football.

What I didn’t recognize was those two connections were not mutually exclusive. 

I understand the anger and frustration of women who were told “NO”.Who were told “NO” by an organization that is supposed to create opportunity and advocate for the Beautiful Game.

I started wearing hijab in 1997. I played my last season in the fall. I was told I had to either “take it off on the pitch” or “wait until I was ready to commit fully to the rules of the game”.

There was no specific law against (that would come in 2007) it but nothing allowing it either.

I walked away from the pitch.

My heart broke. But I quickly wiped my angry tears with my hijab. It provided me tight comfort and strength against this sporting injustice.

I played pick-up. I played at picnics. At family gatherings. I played at any opportunity. I played against my husband. I played with my children.

But I was used to playing in leagues, in matches with referees and full of politics and drama. 

I remember watching one of my heroes, Zinedine Zidane hoist the World Cup over his head in glory in 1998.

It was the first summer I did not play.

His victory as a Frenchman of Muslim-Algerian descent was bittersweet for me. He was of my faith. But he was playing.

I practice his roulette anyway. Just in case I might need it someday.

Life went on. I cheered, I watched and I fooled around with a ball. I did not play regularly. 

After what seemed like several lifetimes, I found a league that would accept me. 

I went back hesitant and I went back happily.

I tasted the joy in the sweat rolling down my face.

I loved it. I stayed for years and then I found the courage to venture out and challenge this.

I found a club that agreed.

And I remember what I always knew: I was a footballer who wore hijab.

Not a hijab-wearing woman who played football.

Fast forward to 2014 when Jerome Valcke announced: "It was decided that female players can cover their heads to play". 

Muslim women *could* always play.

Now they are *permitted*.

Semantics.

How can I laud FIFA for striking down a law that should have never been implemented in the first place?

How can I be grateful for someone allowing me to do what I should ahve always been allowed do?

Why was I made to choose?

How can you choose between your heart and soul?

Thank God my daughter won’t have to face that choice.

Someone pointed this out to me: “funny how the west tells us that hijab is oppressive yet they use it to oppress hijabis by banning them from playing sports”.

That isn’t funny. It is horrible. 

Last year, I was sidelined from football due to what turned out to be a full blowout of my ACL . Being ripped away from the game in this manner was painful. But it was of my volition. I was injured in a match, while in play. My choice.

Being ripped from the game because a lot of white, privileged men decided it was dangerous for me and the sport was torturous. Their choice.

And it was unfair.

So, today I am not “happy”. I am disappointed that I lost time and energy.

My joy is tapered with simple relief. 

In future, I will not let it ruin other childhoods and affect and exclude people.

Football is for all of us.

It should always have been.

Source: http://footybedsheets.tumblr.com/post/78519986470/my-thoughts-hijab-on-the-pitch

Soccer Scandal: Iran's Female Stars Face Random Gender Tests

BY ALI AROUZI AND HENRY AUSTIN

TEHRAN -- Iran’s female soccer pros face random gender tests after seven people were disqualified from the league because they were deemed not to be women.

The "snap checks" have been introduced by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, according to Ahmad Hashemian, who heads its medical committee.

Teams are required to perform gender tests on any woman signing a professional contract and pass the results on to the federation, Hashemian said. However, many clubs previously failed to comply with the regulation. The rule was introduced about three years ago after a team raised concerns that an opponent's goalkeeper was a man.

Seven people have now been disqualified from playing in the women’s league, while four others are waiting to hear back from the federation.

Iranian female soccer players attend in a training session in Tehran on June 25, 2009.

The checks are similar to those carried out on South African runner Caster Semenya, who was forced to undergo gender tests before eventually beingcleared to return to action against women.

In cases where players are undergoing sex changes, Hashemian said they would be allowed back onto the field when their gender-reassignment procedures had been completed.

"If these people can solve their problems through surgery and be in a position to receive the necessary medical qualifications, they will then be able to participate in [women's] soccer," he added.

While Iran has strict laws governing homosexuality, which is punishable by death, sex-change operations are legal as a result of a fatwa - or religious ruling - pronounced by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Sex changes are recognized in Iranian passports and only Thailand performs more gender-reassignment surgeries.

Henry Austin reported from London.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/soccer-scandal-irans-female-stars-face-random-gender-tests-n26221

Saudi soccer debates broadens over women’s rights and nationalism

By James M. Dorsey

Female US Congressional staffers in Riyadh's King Fahd Stadium, source: James M. Dorsey

A Saudi debate about the societal role of soccer expanded this week with controversy over a group of female American Congressional staffers being allowed to watch a match in a Riyadh stadium from which Saudi women are barred and a video in which a teacher encouraged his students to chant slogans for a soccer club rather than the national anthem.

The expanded debate hooks into a broader debate about women’s rights in a country that upholds gender segregation; bans women from driving, attending sports matches and forces women’s soccer clubs to operate in a legal and social nether land; and in general provides few sporting opportunities for women. A Saudi student allegedly died earlier this month after officials at King Saud University refused to allow male emergency responders entry to the women only section of the campus to apply first aid.

In the latest twist of the debate on women’s rights, Saudi media quoted female entrepreneurs as saying they were forced to close down shops because their women employees had difficulty finding affordable transport to and from work. With relatively few municipal busses offering separate sections for women, women are forced to either hire a full-time driver or pay for expensive taxis.

The restrictions on women’s sports appear at odds with public opinion. A Saudi sociologist concluded in November on the basis of a survey that the vast majority of Saudis favour granting women the right to engage in sports. The survey conducted by Mariam Dujain Al-Kaabi as part of her master thesis showed that 73.5 percent of the respondents unambiguously endorsed a woman’s right to engage in sports while 21.6 percent felt that it should be conditional.

There are no official facilities for female athletes or physical education programs for girls in schools in the kingdom. Spanish consultants hired to draft Saudi Arabia’s first ever national sports plan were instructed by the government to do so for men only.

Saudi Arabia alongside Yemen was the only... (the rest is @Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer)   Continue: http://mideastsoccer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/saudi-soccer-debates-broadens-over.html